NORTHERN BATTLE

Grey River Argus, 18 September 1937, Page 5

NORTHERN BATTLE

CHINESE IN RETREAT Big Captures by Japanese [Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] SHANGHAI, September 16. The Japanese this morning began a major offensive against the Chinese on Chsku Plain between Pekin-Han-kow and Tientsin-Pukow railways. They claim to have captured Paochow and other strategic points, despite the fierce resistance of the illequipped Chinese. According to the Japanese the slaughter was as heavy as at Nanyuan in the early days of the war.

Japanese accounts say that troops capturing Kuan swam the Hun river until the engineers threw a pontoon bridge across. The Japanese further north forded the Hun, and captured the walled city of Kingsunchen. Others from Kiangsiang overwhelmed Fangshansien, the Chinese Divisional Headquarters.

Japanese aeroplanes bombed Taiyuan, and set fire to the arsenal and military depots. Others dropped pamphlets urging the Chinese irregulars not to fight. It is claimed that half a million rounds of ammunition and 5000 hand grenades were captured at Tatung. CHINESE IN DISORDER. PLUCKY REARGUARD FIGHTING. LONDON, September 16. The Exchange’s Pekin correspondent says: Unable to resist the Japanese sweep from Liangsiang, eight Chinese divisions are retreating in disorder in the direction of Antingfu. PEKIN. September 16. Desperately resisting the overwhelming mechanised equipment, the Chinese fighting in brilliant moonlight, failed to prevent the Japanese crossing the Chuma river in face of a storm of machine-gun and rifle fire, in continuance of their southward advance on the sixty-milc front in the rectangle bounded by the Hun river, Pekin-Paotingfu railway, and Tientsin-Tsangchow railway, which lines hitherto were regarded as defensible flanks of the Chinese position.

HUGE AREA CAPTURED BY JAPANESE. TIENTSIN, September 16. The Japanese captured 100,000 square miles of territory in North China, mostly unsettled. CHINA AND LEAGUE. GENEVA, September 16. The League Council referred the Chinese appeal to the Advisory Committee, which has been com'ened for next week. SHANGHAI FIGHTING. CHINESE ATTACK FAILS. SHANGHAI, September 16. The over-night Chinese attack to drive a wedge in the Japanese front at Hongkew, and recapture the eastern wharves to prevent further landings, did not succeed. The Chinese sortied in the unlighted street alleys, and there was bitter fighting with machine-guns and trench-mortars, whereunder the Chinese retired to their original positions.

CHINESE OFFICIAL MESSAGE. WELLINGTON, September 17. The Chinese Consul received Ihe following cablegram from Nanking last night; With the Japanese engaged in consolidating their new positions, and Chinese forces strongly entrenched along the 50-mile front, stretching from Shanghai north station to Liuho, fighting around Shanghai has been restricted to minor skirmishes during the last. 24 hours. The Chinese are still holding Kiangwan racecourse and the adjoining regions, these being the advanced Chinese positions. JAPS BOMB CANTON. SHANGHAI, September 16. The Japanese bombed Canton from the air. It is believed there were heavy native casualties. WELLINGTON, September 17. A Chinese official message states: Yesterday morning, Japanese warships bombarded Bocca and Tigris forts on the Canton river. Chinese shore batteries replied to the fire, damaging two Japanese warships. Chinese planes assisted in the operations and bombed the attacking vessels, one of which was sunk.

THE FOREIGNERS. SHANGHAI, September 16. Official figures of the casualties in the international concessions, except Japanese, are 18 killed and 442 wounded by falling anti-aircraft shells and 16,000 killed and wounded by air bombs. Taking advantage of Japanese permission, in view of the advance of winter, to recover articles of clothing from Hongkew, foreigners who had been forced to flee from there philosophically returned under Japanese escort. Girls who wanted to recover goldfish and Scots who pleaded that the whisky was winter clothing, were disappointed, as were others, who pleaded to be allowed to bring back grand pianos. HONG KONG, September 16. Twenty-three members of the crew of the British steamer Severnleight, were remanded on a charge of alleged refusal to sail with a cargo of scrap metal for Japan.

'PLANES FOR CHINA. U.S.A. PREVENTS SHIPMENT. (Received September 17, 8.40 p.m.) SAN PEDRO, September 17. Sixteen aeroplanes, consigned for China, have been unloaded here from the Government-owned ship, “Wichita,” in pursuance of President Roosevelt’s order of Tuesday. The Maritime Federation had earlier prevented the re-fuelling of the “Wichita.”